


For Old Time's Sake

by fraufi666



Category: House of Cards (US TV)
Genre: Abuse of Authority, Authority Figures, Ballet, Brother/Sister Incest, Chronic Illness, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, I have no idea how to dance ballet so if I write it wrong please don't be upset, Minor Violence, Political Alliances, Politics, Reminiscing, Romance, Sibling Incest, Sort Of, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:54:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21681658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraufi666/pseuds/fraufi666
Summary: Annette and Bill Shepherd are the formidable sibling power couple. Yet, upon reminiscing a past memory of a hot summer in the Midwest, Bill realises that his sinful feelings are still alive. As the siblings work to destroy Claire Underwood’s presidency, a careless act of passion may endanger their reputation. Would they be able to stop this carefully built house of cards from collapsing?
Relationships: Annette Shepherd/Bill Shepherd, Annette Shepherd/Claire Underwood, Annette Shepherd/Mark Usher
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All characters in this story belong to the Netflix series of House of Cards. I do not take credit for any of them. Some aspects of the storyline have been based from scenes in Season 6, I but decided to take it a step further by making these subtleties of the Shepherd’s relationship more explicit. The events however are from my imagination (although plenty of us fans had expected this all took place behind closed doors).

Several years had passed, but she was still very much the same. An immaculate blue skirt suit and combed hair could not hide the wild child beneath. Annette Shepherd could see her as clear as day, even if she was the president of the United States.

Her cold blue eyes latched onto her. They looked even more hardened since Frank had died. The wild child seemed desperate to break free from this calculated exterior.

“I slept with him once.” Annette teased, smiling slightly. It was a cruel, short sentence, but she was curious to see whether this would stir some reaction in her. Claire Underwood seemed to be a very difficult person to sway, ever since childhood. But she did seem to love Frank a great deal, at least from the outside. The eyes continued to stare at her with distance. _Goodness, this woman is like the ice queen_. She realised. Nothing seemed to bother her at all. 

“Your brother?” Came the reply.

It was not even a question, but more like a statement of fact. The self-assured smugness was there, the only thing that made this ice queen appear somewhat human. It was Claire’s turn to smile slightly. Annette tried not to let that sentence get to her. She was obviously being silly; there was no way she could have known. But she tried to cover her doubt and continued on her prodding. How did that woman do it? It was not easy to hide one’s emotions, particularly as a woman. Perhaps politics had taught her to be this way. But then again, she always knew that Claire was a closed book. 

“No, your husband.” 

Again, Claire did not bat an eyelash. “I _know_.” 

*

After the president had departed, Annette returned into the living room. Bill quickly stood up from the couch abruptly. Annette could see anger contorting his features, even with his spectacles on. “I knew we never should have trusted them. Those Underwoods have always been bad news. Why you were ever friends with her in the first place, I could never understand.”

Annette rested a hand on his shoulder, “Bill, please calm down.” She gestured him to sit back down on the couch. “The doctor told you to take it easy.”

“I don’t care! I will never be able to take it easy, not when this woman is still president!” He choked. His hand shook. 

“Did you take your medication, Bill?” Annette asked her brother in concern. 

He sighed “What does it matter anyway? I don’t have long left.” 

Sharply, she took hold of his cheek, pulling his face close to her. Her eyes shone with tears and he immediately regretted what he said. “Don’t say that. Don’t EVER say that.” She said furiously. The air between them felt warm, suffocating almost. Annette released her grasp and turned away from him, her hand in her face. 

“I’m sorry, Annie.” Bill apologised, reaching out to touch her shoulder. She nudged away. Ever since George had betrayed them, they had become dependent on one another. He knew that she still missed him, but he also knew that she was fiercely loyal to the Shepherd name and was upset that he had turned his back on them. That was the thing he had really appreciated about her. Not enough people nowadays had cared about their families, but Annette did. He knew that she had made a wonderful wife and mother. Family values were what had determined a good woman, not any of this independence feminist nonsense that the Democrats had been touting. Oh how he wished he could have-

He stopped himself from entertaining the thought. Now was not the time or place. 


	2. Chapter 2

_The sun beat down mercilessly at them in the field. A blonde girl, about sixteen years of age raced ahead, laughing. “Hurry up you slow poke!”_

_“Will you just slow down, Claire? I’m in my Sunday best!” A brunette groaned, struggling to chase after her. She ran, holding up the hem of the dress so it would not get in the way. She hated whenever Claire decided to be spontaneous. But her mind was made up and there was no way to get around it._

_Once they had reached the barn, Claire moved aside some of the hay, revealing a trap door. With a hair clip, she pried the lock open. As expected, she was able to open it. Triumphantly, the blonde lit a cigarette. She offered it to Annette who shook her head in disgust._

_“Not now.”_

_“Suit yourself.” Claire sighed._

_“Why would you drag me all the way out here anyway? We have to rehearse soon. I don’t have much time to dawdle.” Annette was getting impatient. She was expected at home very soon. “You know what Bill’s like. He’ll be furious if I am late.”_

_The blue eyes narrowed as she took another drag of the cigarette. “That brother of yours is incredibly controlling.” She said with a tone of suspicion, “You two spend a great deal of time together.”_

_Annette scoffed “Of course. He’s my brother. Why are you so critical anyway? You certainly aren’t here to just smoke cigarettes.”_

_Claire put a hand on her hip, the other still holding onto the cigarette. “You’re right. We’re not just here for that. Come on, let’s rehearse.”_

_“In my Sunday best?! Are you crazy?” Annette cried. “If I get even one crease on this-“_

_“Fine. Then take it off.”_

_Reluctantly, Annette did as she was told. For all the time she had known Claire Hale, listening to her was easier than arguing back. She felt embarrassed in her petticoat and hoped that they would start as soon as possible. Claire began to do the same, perhaps out of solidarity._

_“Okay, let’s get this over with.”_

_Time flew by. The ballet routine was pretty much perfected as the girls continued to practice. It went on for so long that Annette did not even prepare herself for who was about to open the door. As the two girls began to stand in an arabesque, extending one arm out to each other, Annette lost balance and fell into the blonde’s arms._

_Bill stood there in shock, seeing the two girls in their undergarments holding one another. There had to be some sort of devilish behaviour at play. Annette looked incredibly guilty, disentangling herself and covering her chest with her hands. “This isn’t what it looks like.”_

_He bolted out of the door, with Annette hastily buttoning up her dress again and going after him. She reached out to him, panting. Her brother stood under a tree, his back towards her “Bill, we were only practicing. I’m sorry we were so late.”_

_He spun to face her in scorn, although his eyes were downcast, ashamed to look at her. “Then why were you in that state? You were away for hours. That friend of yours is a bad influence.”_

_Annette took hold of his hand to comfort him, “I assure you, we were only practicing. I didn’t want to wrinkle my dress. Please look at me, Bill. Bill?"  
_


	3. Chapter 3

"BILL!”

He sat up in a jolt. Before him, was a tray of medications. “I’m sorry for waking you, but please, take these.” 

Bill reached over and took the pills, taking a glass from Annette and washing them down. He knew that they would do little to improve his health, but he did not want to risk having another argument with her. “I’m sorry Annie. I don’t know what has gotten into me. I’m feeling exhausted.” 

Gently, she helped him to his feet and walked him to the bedroom. He sat on the bed and she began to remove both his shoes. 

“Please, honey, I can do this myself.” 

She ignored him and neatly placed his shoes on the floor beside the bed. He shakily pulled the covers over him. Annette frowned, placing a hand against his forehead. 

“You shouldn’t be overheating yourself.” She scolded. 

*

_“Please look at me.”_

_“I’m NOT going to look at my harlot of a sister!” Bill shouted. “Why did it have to be her?"_

_He felt a hard slap against his face. Annette jabbed a finger at him. “You do not get to tell me what to do, and you do not get to assume these kinds of things about me. I thought you knew me better than that.”_

_Immediately his cheeks began to burn. He felt incredibly ashamed all of a sudden. Was it jealousy, he wondered? After all, he had never seen her in such a state of undress, not since childhood anyway._

_Suddenly, he felt her cool lips press against his sore cheek. She smiled at his confusion and he felt his heart race. Why was he feeling like this? This was wrong, completely and utterly wrong._

_“There’s no need to be jealous. You know I am always yours.” Coyly, she took hold on his hand, placing it against her chest. “Go on.” She teased, her dark eyes sparkling in mischief._

Bill awoke. With shame, he pleasured himself in the bed, hoping that more than anything, Annette was not going to come into the room. Fortunately, she did not. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly headed straight into the bathroom to have a shower. When he was about to turn it on, he stumbled and fell.

Instantly, Annette was by his side helping him up. He tried to cover himself up but it was no use. Was it even necessary?

“Please, I’ve seen you like this before, don’t stress.” Annette reassured him, reading his very thoughts. He gulped, the memory of a hot summer’s evening under the tree coming back. 

“Do you ever think about what happened when we were both sixteen?” Bill found himself saying. He inwardly cursed to himself for being so bold, but there was no way he could take the question back. 

Annette helped him into the bath, turning on the water. “Why, of course. Don’t you? You were mad at me for weeks. Somehow you got it in your head I was in a relationship with Claire.” 

“But don’t you wish it could be…different?” He wheezed for a few minutes and felt her hand clap against his back a few times. With the other hand, Annette began to help scrub him with the soap. He swatted her hand away, begging that she would respond and tell him exactly what he wanted, “Don’t you?”

She stared directly at him in silence, perhaps thinking carefully about what to say next. This was completely forbidden territory and if there were a line, they would have no doubt crossed it. Perhaps it was too foolish to ask. 

“Annie?”

There was a thump as the soap fell to the floor. Instantly, she had pulled him towards her, kissing him passionately on the lips. Bill gasped, feeling himself grow hard. This was definitely the best kind of outcome. As they embraced, her shirt began to soak against his wet chest. 

Finally, she released him, the same cheeky smile from many years ago playing on her lips. “Happy?” She asked. 

Suddenly, he had so many questions. “B-but you never told me how you felt.” He gasped. “I kept thinking you were interested in others. You even got married. Why did you not tell me?” 

She threw her hands in the air in dismay. “What did you expect Bill? That I’d marry _you_? You know how bad that would look for our reputations. Claire always suspected it, however. We must make sure to keep this between us.”

“How did she find out?” He sputtered, “That woman is impossible.” 

“That’s why we must be discreet, honey.” Annette responded, trailing her hand against him. She gently stroked her fingers against his hardened cock, causing him to moan. He did not want her to stop. This was going completely against his values, yet it never felt so _good_ with any other woman. No wonder his relationships never seemed to last. “Oh God…” He huffed under his breath, “Annie…”

Instantly, she had let go of him. “Discreet, Bill.” She teased, placing a finger to his lips. And with that, she handed him the soap, the wet silk blouse before his eyes torturing him as the water grew colder. It was slightly unbuttoned, only showing the top of her cleavage. He wanted so desperately to rip off the blouse, but he felt so weak and exhausted. Annette watched his gaze, smirking and then doing up the buttons. “Let’s help you back into bed.” 


	4. Chapter 4

_He could taste her lip gloss against his tongue as they kissed for the first time. It did not last at all long, however, when they heard a shout. Like strangers, they pulled apart instantly. Bill felt his heart sink._

_“Annie, Bill! Come quick!” George cried, “Ma and Pa are furious.”_

_Bill groaned rudely “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” His sister glared at him and then offered a sweet smile at the younger brother “We’ll come soon, don’t wait up.”_

_The younger boy raced off, leaving the two teenagers alone again. “Not another word.” She muttered._

_Later that night, Annette lay upon the crook of her arm, eyes closed and hair slept over the side of her face. A shadow fell over her and she awoke with a start. At first, she looked startled, but then moved aside and lifted the blanket to let the him lie next to her._

_They lay together, not even touching. Perhaps they were too scared to cross the line again. As adolescence passed and adulthood came around, the two never spoke of it again. They were just merely happy being in one another’s company._

_At least, that’s what they told themselves._

*


	5. Chapter 5

“My hands are tied.” Mark sighed hopelessly, shrugging. 

Annette walked closely to him, the scent of perfume intoxicating him. She cupped his chin in her hands, staring into his eyes with mock sympathy he could not see. “Oh Mark. I know you have a weakness for powerful women, but you _must_ be able to stop her.” 

He closed his eyes, placing a hand on top of hers. “It’s not easy. I’m too close to her now. If I do anything even remotely against her, she will know straight away.” 

She raised her eyebrows, pulling away from him. Inadequacy was so plain on his face. He just wanted to be validated. _Men are so pathetic sometimes_ , Annette thought. “Are you with me or against me, Mark?” she shot at him directly. 

Immediately his eyes widened and he looked horrified that she would even doubt his loyalty, “You know the answer to that. But as Vice President, I cannot do this. ” He could feel her lips against his ear, long fingernails tracing against his tie. “But I have been speaking to some members of her cabinet and general consensus seems to be unhappy. Many of Frank’s old colleagues want nothing to do with her.”

She smiled, stroking his silver strands. “I knew it.” Turning to Bill she gave him a nod. He still did not feel at all reassured. Quietly, he departed the room to leave Annette and Mark alone. 

Was he jealous? No. He understood this. It was not love or sex, but rather it was about power. Mark was a mere pawn in her game, not at all her type. She was merely trying to extract information from him. It was a business transaction: she was using her body in exchange for ensuring Claire’s fall from power. This was what business people like the Shepherds did. Bill knew sooner or later that Mark would turn his back on the president, and it was his sister who would help assist with that. 

When Annette was finished, she came into the lounge to find Bill slumped over on the couch in agony. He was in a feverish sweat, hands shaking. Immediately, she shifted away from Mark who was just about to give her one last embrace. “Bill? Are you okay?"

Everything seemed to blur except for her face. Normally she had looked so cold, but this time there was real concern in her expression. He knew that this was a side to her that nobody else could see. Mark called out his name, but he tried to ignore him. The last thing he needed was a Democrat fussing over him. 

Annette pushed Mark towards the door, “Can you please give us a minute?” She asked. Like the obedient lapdog he was, he did as instructed. The door closed behind them. _Alone at last._

Instantly, he was put to bed. A slender figure clad in a figure-hugging dress tucked him in. Bill blinked, his vision improving. He still felt so hot, but he knew it was not his health causing this. He weakly reached out to her and she sat by his bedside, holding a washcloth to his face. She was always so prepared, so nurturing. In all the years she had looked after her son, Duncan, he had never seen this level of care. 

“Annie…” he murmured

Annette stroked his hair gently, hushing him. He pushed on ahead anyway. “Do you remember when we lay together?”

She exhaled sharply. “You still think about it?”

“Yes...” Bill reached for the bedside table but she was one step ahead and placed his spectacles in his hand. He put them on. With his spectacles on he could finally take in all of her beauty. A shaky hand patted the space on the bed next to him, “For old time’s sake?” 

How he longed to undo that tight bun and watch the long hair sweep down over her shoulders. Instinctively, he reached for her hair, unfastening the clasp. She grabbed his wrist tightly, hair falling forward and with her other hand, pushed his head towards her. As soon as their lips locked, tongues crashing against each other, they were trapped in their own sin, unable to let go…unwilling to let go. 

Quickly, she had unzipped her dress, spilling to her feet like a puddle of milk. He was taking off his own shirt and trousers, tossing them carelessly to the side. 

“I’m sorry you could not see me in my prime.” She falsely apologised. But he did not care about that and knew that she did not either. Twenty more years could fly by and he would still want her just as badly. He felt himself growing hard under the blanket as she nestled in beside him, her breasts pressing against his back. Lips caressed the side of his neck, getting rougher and rougher as she made her way lower. He rolled over onto his back, allowing her access. The lips made their journey further until they were around his cock and she took him completely into her mouth. He groaned as her tongue encircled his manhood, quivering in the sheets. She did this for a few more minutes before climbing up onto him. He tried to get up into a more dominant position: it was emasculating letting her take control, but she shook her head, knowing that he was much too sickly. A pleasant moistness dampened his cock as she sat down on top of him. It thrilled him that she wanted him just as much. She moaned, thrusting her hips and pulling herself deeper and deeper. 

“Oh honey,” He breathed, watching Annette throw her head back, moaning louder and louder with pleasure as she grabbed his hair, tugging it roughly “Oh God, oh God…” 

As they were in the throes of passion, both of them were blinded by the fact that they were not in fact, alone. Bill’s door was cracked ajar just slightly, the red eye of a camera greedily taking in the scene. 


	6. Chapter 6

The next few weeks seemed to carry on like normal. But there was slight tension in the air between them. Bill had to remind himself not to look at Annette for too long, whilst Annette dismissed her brother continually in front of others. When Duncan came over for a family dinner, Annette ruffled his tousled locks, smiling at him kindly whilst her stockinged foot rubbed up against Bill’s thigh from beneath the table. Bill pretended to read the newspaper, mustering as much strength as he could to distract himself from the wicked games his body was playing. If Duncan were not there, he would throw Annette against the table and do her right there and then.

“Claire asked me something.” Duncan mentioned, looking up from his plate. Annette remained calm, whereas Bill began to redden at the mention of her name. _What is that woman playing at now?_ “She asked if we had any skeletons in our closet.”

Annette burst into laughter, dropping her cutlery. Both male Shepherds looked at her in confusion. It unsettled Bill with how unperturbed she was about that woman. Perhaps she was used to her threats.

“Don’t we all? But Claire’s closet is far worse.” She knew that even if Claire was aware of the nature of her relationship with Bill, there was no way on earth that she could prove it. Besides, the more powerful someone is, the more at stake things will be. It was fortunate that the Shepherds’ hands did not touch the filth that permeated within the public sector.

“Three abortions.” Bill clarified, “What kind of woman do we have running for president?” He turned to Duncan, hoping that his nephew did not notice the guilt on his face, and the sweat dripping from his brow as Annette’s foot continued to toy with him, “If only your generation cared as much about the importance of family as we did.” Her foot moved inwards towards his crotch and it took a great deal of restraint to hold back his moans.

Duncan shrugged, not really that interested in what his uncle was going on about. “I’m heading out again to a friend’s for a few days. Need to try out this app.” His eyes twinkled mischievously as he stood up from the table.

“Oh come on, we never have a family dinner,” Bill complained, but it was no use. Annette glared at him and smiled sweetly at her son, “Just go, have a fun time.” After he had left, she exchanged an equally guilty glance at Bill. There was still one more thing that Claire might still have over them.

_*_

_“I can’t have an abortion,” She wailed, but not too loudly so that the passing students on campus could hear them, “But what if they find out?”_

_He clasped onto her hands tightly, hoping that she would not go down that path. There was another way out of this, and he desperately racked his brains for a solution to ease her anxiety. “So many other men will be willing to take the blame. What about that guy from college? You did sleep with him, didn’t you?”_

_The young woman sighed, “It might be a bit too far along for it to be him.” She touched her belly, which was beginning to swell slightly. No matter how many layers she wore, it would still show a bump. “I can’t keep hiding this anymore.”_

_His hand hovered over it; unsure whether he could touch her. Erasing his uncertainty, she took his hand, placing it onto her belly._

_“If it’s a boy, I think I’ll name him-“_


	7. Chapter 7

_Straight back to voicemail._ Annette groaned in irritation. She was just about to give up and ask for the bill when she caught sight of a shock of silver hair.

“What took you so long?” She demanded him impatiently as he went over to sit across from her.

Mark sighed, “I told the president that I didn’t want to get involved in this anymore. She already does not trust me enough.” Droplets of rain glistened in his hair as he put down his umbrella. “And the weather today made the traffic really unbearable.”

Annette arched an eyebrow, handing him a menu. Mark Usher was a terrible liar. “We are not here to talk about the weather.” He stiffened at her cold suspicion, drinking a glass of water and avoiding her gaze. He was obviously hiding something from her. She decided that now was the right time to let his guide down. A hand gently stroked his. “Why don’t we take this further?”

He trembled in his suit, as he struggled to move away, enjoying the attention that one of the most powerful women was giving him. Secretly, he knew that joining the Democrats was a terrible mistake. As long as Annette Shepherd was in his arms, he was always going to be a devoted Republican at heart. Perhaps it was not too late to switch sides now. Fumbling, he hastily moved his phone out of her line of vision.

“We can come back to mine.” He mumbled under his breath, trying to keep a cool head. Quickly he slipped a mint into his mouth, craving a cigarette instead. It was times like these where he wished he hadn’t quit.

They were back at his ranch in no time, hands all over each other. She bit his lip, causing it to bleed slightly and he flinched, feeling oddly aroused at the stinging pain. Slyly, she licked the blood away. Mark’s arousal was slightly dimmed as he continually patted against his pocket to see if his phone was still safely there.

She got on her knees, having unzipped his trousers and took him in her mouth almost instantly. He moaned, completely taken away by the moment that he did not even know that her fingers slipped into his pocket. All pleasure ceased.

“Ah ha.” Annette smirked, getting to her feet and waving his phone in the air “What is it you have been keeping from me?”

“Nothing! I swear it.” He desperately tried to reach for the phone, but she held it higher up in the air.

Her dark eyes pierced into him menacingly. Mark gulped in terror, “I’ll give it back to you as long as you tell me what is on there. Do you take me for a fool, Mark? I noticed you couldn’t keep your eyes off that thing the whole time we were together.” She then leaned closer, stroking his face “We’re old friends. What you have on your phone can’t possibly be anything worth hiding from me. I can see right through you.”

The Vice President blushed. He felt so exposed, so vulnerable and small before this woman. Of course she would know. How could he have been so stupid, thinking he could hide anything from Annette? Nevertheless, he knew he was one step ahead.

Moans came from the phone. Annette watched the video, first in shock and then in curiosity. He had betrayed her. But she kept her composure. The worst thing to do was to show him that she could crack: he would merely use that against her.

“So, tell me, did you enjoy watching me?” She asked innocently, running her lips along the side of his face. “There is over ten minutes of footage here. I’m impressed. When you said you were heading out, I thought you had meant it.”

Passive-aggression. That was another tool Annette Shepherd held against him. Like this, he knew she was at her most dangerous because he could not tell what she was thinking. Expensive perfume wafted into his nostrils and he began to feel nauseous. “I…I didn’t.” He pleaded, hoping she would give him space. She was torturing him, and yet he still could not pull away. He cried as she tugged his hair, pulling his head back. Suddenly, a surge of anger replaced his anxiety.

“Well?” She asked him, not so sweetly, her face darkening “Why did you do it? Tell me!”

“I was foolish for thinking you had loved me.” Mark began, refusing to look at her in the eye. He felt so robbed but completely justified in this act of revenge, “I knew you and Bill were close but this is…this is sick.”

She slapped him against the face, hard. Then, taking the phone, she threw it to the floor, destroying it with her stilettoed heel. He watched the spider web cracks multiply on the screen until the picture became distorted and lost forever.

“Now.” She said finally, putting her hands on her hips. “What are you going to do about it?” Mark stayed silent, eyes downcast. Suddenly, he felt the cold, sharp blade of her heel against his neck like a knife. Annette grasped his shoulder, digging in her nails as she did so. Was she going to do it? This was not what he had expected and he screwed up his eyes, not wanting to face his fate.

“Don’t fuck with me, Mark.” She breathed into his ear threateningly. And with that, he watched her turn her back on him. Annette made her way to the door, leaving his heart shattered just as irreparably as the phone on the floor.


	8. Chapter 8

The cerulean sky comforted him as he sipped his iced tea. This was what he needed, fresh air. Lately Bill had felt more at ease, both mentally and physically. He thanked God for Annette. Even though the state of his beloved nation would never feel safe again with a Democrat in office, he still had his most important ally by his side.

Two hands clasped against his eyes. “Guess who?” came a familiar whisper.

He turned to face her, smiling as he planted a kiss to her lips. For a while, he caressed Annette’s cheek, not realising that they weren’t alone.

Duncan looked at them both in confusion. Quickly, he dismissed this as merely his uncle and mother being friendly. They always did seem close. But was he just lying to himself?

“Uncle Bill, did you see the headlines today?” the young man asked with a tone of anxiousness. Annette raised an eyebrow, taking the paper from him and putting it in front of Bill who put on his spectacles. They were not at all prepared for what they were about to see.

_Rumours of Scandalous Sex Tape from Shepherd Home_

“What?! H-how?” Annette was the first to speak “That bastard…”

Bill looked at her in alarm, “I thought you got rid of that video!” He cried, “You told me Mark’s phone was destroyed.”

She clasped a hand against her mouth, realising the gravity of the situation. “He must have shared it long before I found it.” Annette observed, “What are we going to do?”

Bill was already taking care of it. His hand shook as he furiously dialled a number “Yes? I want you to discredit the story! There was an awkward pause “Do as I say, or say goodbye to your job.” He hissed. “Do you not know who I am?!”

Duncan was quickly typing on his phone, “I can find out who else has been spreading these rumours.” He said, “The app is already on most left-leaning journalists’ phones.”

“Good, we can find out which individuals are spreading this and put a gag order on them.” Bill said in determination “They will not get away with this.”

Annette put a hand on Bill’s arm, “Honey, is it really worth getting our son involved in this?”

_Our son_

These very words turned Duncan’s life upside down. “What?” He gasped, finally being exposed to a reality he did not want to face. Suddenly, the sight of his mother and uncle embracing one another all made sense in the worst way possible.

“Please let us explain,” Annette begged, reaching out for him, but it was too late. Duncan looked upon his guardians in a mixture of both hatred and disgust.

“Get away from me!” Duncan cried, shoving Annette aside.

Now it was Bill’s turn to get angry, “Do not treat your mother like that!” He shouted, getting up from the chair, fists at the ready. He attempted to chase after him, but Duncan was much too fast. Instead, Bill fell onto his knees, wheezing. Sobs could be heard behind him and he wished desperately to get up and comfort her, but he was much too weak.

“What do we do?” She cried, tears streaming down her face after what had seemed like an eternity “What if he confirms these rumours?”

After he got his strength back, Bill finally turned to her. There was a cold, but grim resoluteness to his expression. Annette had seen this expression before, many years ago when they were in college.

“We cut him from the will, like what dad did to George. He is no longer one of us.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Annette…” Claire coolly addressed her. The two women stood in the Oval Office, once best friends, now bitter enemies. “What bills does your brother want me to sign now? Or did he send you to do his dirty work?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. I know it was you who got Mark to share that footage. There is no way you can ever prove that it was Bill and I.”

Claire sighed, “I already knew about your relationship. I do not care about what you and Bill get up to in your private lives. But…I’m sure the public will feel differently.”

“What did you offer Mark?” The brunette took a step closer, trying to intimidate her “A night together? A generous pay? He has always been an eager lap dog. I thought you were better than that.”

The president barely gave anything away in her gaze, “The video is not public. Not yet anyway. But the people will be awaiting confirmation for these suspicions. So, you have a choice: either give up trying to destroy me, because we both know you never will, or I’ll destroy you.”

Annette smiled sweetly, putting her hands on her hips. But her eyes told another story. A new tactic was what was needed, “Politics really has changed you, Claire. You think a sex tape will destroy me? What about you? What could you possibly have to your name?” She looked as if she were pondering for a moment, and then raised a finger as if a thought came to her “Ah, I know! Three abortions. It was my brother’s idea to use this against you, but as we were such good friends, I didn’t want to do that. But what kind of example are you setting, as the mother of the nation?”

The blonde leaned closer so that their noses were almost touching. She began to remove both her heels. Annette watched on with some confusion, but then there was a sense of familiarity. It was as if they were back in the barn that fateful day

“Go on, Annie. For old time’s sake.”

“Don’t call me that.” Annette replied shortly. But against her control, she found herself lowering to the same level as the president. With her stockinged feet against the carpet, she felt more exposed than she would have liked. Around them, the Oval Office faded from sight and the warmth of a Midwestern summer greeted them once more.

They were no longer the most powerful women in the nation, but two young girls again, practicing the ballet routine that had always bonded them. Gracefully, the two stepped towards each other, one arm outstretched. They then stood on five toes, leaning in. All of the stress of the presidency and the video had subsided as they danced, their eyes only on one another, both humming the tune as they did so. A single thought crossed Annette’s mind: How did things get to how they were? Was it possible for things to ever go back to how they used to be? Gently, their fingertips touched as their hands linked.

Suddenly, Claire lunged forward gasping. Her grip on the brunette’s hand grew tighter, refusing to see the end to this bittersweet dance. Blue slowly turned to crimson as Annette held her in her arms. Warm blood felt sticky against her hands, but instead of feeling guilt, she smiled in the enveloping darkness.

“See you in hell.” The president muttered feebly, exchanging the same wickedly smile. Even while facing death, Claire Underwood appeared unmoved. Gradually, the grip on her hand weakened as life drained from her.

Annette gazed down at her, her other hand on her heart mockingly.

“It will be my pleasure, Madame President.”


	10. Chapter 10

“Thank you for agreeing to meet us,” said Bill.

Unshaven and dishevelled, Duncan Shepherd sat down. There were numerous scratches and bruises on his face, possibly due to all the hounding he was getting from the censored journalists. Without the protection of Shepherd Industries, he was an easy target.The young man looked up reluctantly at his guardians, “Why did you keep this from me? My whole life has been a lie.”

“We only did it to protect you,” replied Annette, putting a hand on his arm.

“You did it to protect yourselves!” Duncan corrected her, shoving her away, “You only care about the company and nothing else. What if I had watched the video? What if I found it out then?”

Bill got up from his seat, putting a hand on his shoulder, “You’re right.” He sighed, surprising everyone in the room. It was not in his character to admit wrong, “We should have told you. But look at yourself: do you really think you can handle living like this? You need us. There is no way you can cope out there on your own.”

“Come back with us.” Annette said gently, her voice sweet like honey “We’ll protect you. We only lied because we had your best interests at heart.”

Duncan looked at the couple, tears in his eyes. As much as he hated to admit it, they were his family. He needed their security. The last couple of weeks had been hell, and given the recent news of the president’s attempted assassination, the media were going to be even more of a fierce opponent.

“You will always be Uncle Bill to me.” He admitted to the older man. Surprising the both of them, he embraced each one in turn.

With this destructive secret kept safe, nothing was going to destroy the formidable Shepherds.

Once Duncan had left the room, Bill took Annette by the hand: “Let me show you something”, he said, his eyes shining behind his spectacles. She was taken aback by his sudden spur of energy and almost insisted he sit back down, but he continued. Not even a series of wheezes stopped him.

He took her outside and they walked for a few minutes until they reached the tree that the two once shared a kiss under from many, many years ago: A single kiss that had completely destroyed the innocence of their relationship.

“I haven’t been here in years,” remarked Annette looking around at the cluster of trees that had since grown significantly. There was something that had been carved into this tree’s trunk.

_B.S. + A. S._

These familiar initials were framed into a crudely shaped heart. But it was not the lack of artistry that mattered, but the memories and the love that had gone into it.

Their lips met under the shade of the tree as the siblings held each other into a hard embrace. He did not have to show it to her, for she had already known. Yet he felt compelled to.

For old time’s sake.


	11. Chapter 11

**Epilogue**

A cold blue eye opened to the many pixels projected above. Mark Usher stood on the stage, one hand on the bible, the other on his heart. It was the rudest awakening that one could ever experience, watching the person who double-crossed them take a position they were not fit to fill. Pain seared through the layer of bandages as she struggled to sit up, unwilling to take this lying down.

But she was not dead. Claire Underwood had finally awoken from the hospital bed, her lips curling into a smile. This was far from over.


End file.
